Page 105 of Villainous Kingpin

Derek pecked me on the cheek, nodded at his coach, then turned around and was gone.

I sat on the closest bench and stretched my legs out ahead of me. Every single muscle in my body ached as I bent over and started undoing my laces. In my head, I was going over the list of things I had to pack and things I should talk to Mom about, but I kept avoiding.

Maybe I could just do it after the Olympics. I didn’t want to upset her and ruin this moment for her.

“Your bodyguard came and checked on you.” She broke the silence and my shoulders instantly tensed. She made it clear that she disliked Sasha. Since I came back to California, he’d been popping in and out, randomly. He appointed himself my guardian. I appreciated it, I really did. Except it made my mother agitated every time.

“Hmmm.” I made a small noise. I hoped she’d drop it. I was certain she was just as tired as I was.

“I don’t like him around you.” Yep, no such luck. Even midnight hours couldn’t tame her displeasure. I wished Juliette was here to distract her. She had become good at that.

“Sasha’s a good guy,” I mumbled, as I pulled on my chucks and sharp pain pierced through my chest.God, will it ever stop?Every single time I put shoes on, the image of Bas kneeling down flashed in my mind. It started as a fairy tale and ended-

No, I couldn’t think about it right now.

I set my skates into their protective case, then zipped my bag. I dug out the car keys from the pocket of the duffle bag, then picked it up off the ground and threw it over my shoulder.

“Are we ready?”

Both of us headed out of the complex and over the empty parking lot that was now lit up like a goddamn stadium. Courtesy of Sasha Nikolaev. To ensure there was nobody lurking in the dark when he wasn’t around.

And my mother doesn’t like him, I scoffed in my head. She was nuts. It should be exactly the kind of guy mothers should want for their girls.

I clicked the button on my fob and slid into the driver seat, then waited for my mother to settle in. It took her a moment since bending her knee caused her pain. I never complained about her taking her time. It was the least I could do.

Once she was inside, she clicked her seatbelt and I did the same.

Just as I put the keys in the ignition and started the car, my mother spoke again, “Men like him, whether good or not, they destroy people’s lives.”

I shot her a sideways glance. I understood now why she’d say something like that. I didn’t necessarily disagree either. But we were born into this world. The underworld. No matter how far we moved, that life was always a part of us. There was no escaping it.

“Mom, after the Olympics, I’m done with competing,” I declared, changing the subject.

My mother’s head snapped my way. “You’re too young to retire.”

I shrugged. “The girls and I want to start a school. I might open a rink and coach. I don’t know. But I won’t be competing.”

Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

“Why?”

I took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

“I’m doing this for you. You wanted this, not me. Single skating was my thing. Pairs was yours. Yours and-” My words faltered. I didn’t want to cause her anguish, but just as Uncle kept me in the dark, so did Mom. Neither one of them bothered to enlighten Juliette nor I. Besides, the moment seemed opportune and there was just something easier about driving and talking. “Yours and my dad’s, I’m guessing. But that was taken away from you when you were shot in the knee.”

Mother’s gasp sounded in the cabin of her little Honda car. My eyes flickered her way to see her pale and I fucking hated that I upset her. I could sort of see why Uncle kept protecting us, knowing that saying some things could bring pain. But eventually pain came regardless.

“What happened, Mom?” I whispered. For once, I wanted someone to tell me the entire story.

The silence stretched and just when I was certain she wouldn’t tell me, she started, “I don’t know how much you know.”

“Pretend I know nothing,” I told her. “And tell me everything.”

A dark and bitter laugh, unlike any I heard from her before, left her lips.

“Well, let’s start with my father who kidnapped my mother from a powerful Pakhan.” Her hands clutched around her thick grey sweater. She never bothered wearing a jacket. “But then he fell in love. Your grandpa can be quite romantic, you know.” I nodded because I did know. The way he talked about grandma could make you cry. “I fear you might have inherited that gene,” she continued. I didn’t say anything, because truthfully, I wasn’t sure that I didn’t. Juliette accused me once of being a realist with the most romantic of hearts.

“Anyhow, I was the product of that fiasco. Liam took care of me more than father did. He grieved too much or maybe I reminded him too much of my mother. I don’t know. I learned much later in life than you that I enjoyed ice skating. I was good.” I nodded. She had a good eye for everything ice skating related. “Though I dare say, you’re better.” When I went to protest, she raised her hand and stopped me. “You are better, Star. And I am very proud of you. Both you and Juliette. I know I don’t say it enough.”